Jessica Koslow

Throughout his career — from artist to teacher to principal to CEO — John Lawler has always been on the same mission: equity and access to arts for all kids. He has worn many hats: an award-winning director and writer, the co-founder of two nonprofits and the principal of two nationally recognized arts high schools.

“Arts education means more than just creating young artists,” said Lawler. “It’s about how they will do in school — kids with an arts education are three to five times more likely to graduate and get into college than kids who don’t have arts. There are such incredible benefits and outcomes that go beyond what people normally think of.”

As the CEO of P.S. ARTS, based in Downtown LA and one of the largest and most well-established arts providers, Lawler oversees arts programs in public schools that cannot afford them. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Men die by suicide at almost four times the rate of women in the United States. Robb Pollard had no idea this was the case, although he himself has struggled his entire life with depression and even contemplated suicide twice.

“Until I moved to America, I thought that was all normal; it was how everybody feels,” said Pollard. “I shut those emotions down.”

After watching her husband experience severe ups and downs, in 2016, Pollard’s wife suggested he see a professional therapist. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

It’s fun to imagine the types of travelers that might have checked into the Red Star Motel when it first opened in 1937 on Rose Avenue in Venice — and even more interesting to think of its beach-bound visitors in 1975, when it changed ownership and was renamed the Golden Star Motel.

Today, guests and locals can stroll around and check into Aliza Hotel, a family-owned boutique property operated by siblings Daniel Galdjie and Donna Silver. Aliza, which is lovingly named after their grandmother, opened its doors in April 2024 after a year of thoughtful restorations, transforming the shabby motel into an “an airy and bright little hotel where uncluttered, stylish interiors, light colors, and curated art evoke the best elements of an LA vacation,” wrote Flaunt Magazine.

“My grandmother is still alive — she’s 95,” said Silver. “She still hosts and has us over for Shabbat dinners or holidays, and she cooks for everybody, like 50 to 75 people sometimes. So, the idea of being a very welcoming place, when guests come in, we’re here checking them in, that’s why we named it after her.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

FIFA World Cup 2026 is coming this summer. LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games are on the horizon. LA is about to welcome the world to walk, shop, play and eat on its streets, and DTLA Alliance is taking its job seriously: to enhance the quality of life in the 65 square blocks of the Downtown Center, including Bunker Hill, the Financial District, Jewelry District and Pershing Square.

“As Los Angeles prepares for major events, our Downtown community will be a central area for economic opportunity and global celebration,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “I look forward to working alongside our DTLA stakeholders to continue our revitalization efforts that prioritize safety, cleanliness and vibrancy.”

On March 17 at the 2026 Trends & Outlook Breakfast at the LA Central Library, DTLA Alliance — a coalition of 2,000-plus property owners working with city, county and state officials and agencies—unveiled “Path to Progress.” . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

It is April 24 — Arbor Day — and Anne Wallentine is leading a tour of the Santa Monica History Museum’s current exhibition, “Roots and Branches: A Tree’s View of Santa Monica,” which explores how nature and humanity have coexisted — and often clashed — over centuries.

“I think it’s interesting when people come here, and they realize some of these streets all have the same trees planted on them,” Wallentine relayed. “I had the same questions: Why are there all these figs on just this one avenue? Why is this street planted with palms? These questions all relate to trying to understand why the city looks like it does today.”

Wallentine is filled with a renewed sense of purpose these days. The former curator at the museum was recently named executive director. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

John Arnold’s fingerprints are all across the San Gabriel Valley, most notably on the blueprints of the more than 1,000 housing units that his architecture/landscape firm, KFA, has designed.

KFA’s greater-Pasadena projects include Mayfield Senior School and the redesign of the Historic Register-listed Evanston Inn into 10 residential units. Arnold is currently leading the residential expansion of the Downtown Women’s Center, adding 97 units of supportive housing to Skid Row.

Arnold liked the Evanston Inn project so much that he recently moved into the court’s penthouse. . . .

Read the entire article at Pasadena Weekly.

There is lots to do in Marina del Rey, but as of April 2, a new kind of entertainment has opened its doors at the Villa Marina Marketplace: Escapology, the world’s largest live escape game franchise.

Escapology has 115 locations around the world, and according to CEO Burton Heiss, “That makes it really special that we’re finally in Marina Del Rey.” 

“It is such a vibrant community that, in some ways, maybe because of the big marina and ocean, it is lacking for entertainment options,” he explained. “Everyone wants to stay close to home, so we’re excited to bring our brand of entertainment here.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

A coastal city near San Diego, Carlsbad has become synonymous with LEGOLAND California Resort. The family theme park has been entertaining families since 1999 across 128 acres. Over the years, the park has expanded, adding new attractions—its newest is the just-launched, as of this March, LEGO Galaxy, which joins the Water Park and SEA LIFE Aquarium San Diego.  

What to Do

The opening of LEGO Galaxy is a milestone that marks one of the most ambitious expansions in the park’s history. The immersive new land features the indoor family rollercoaster Galacticoaster. Visitors can design their own spacecraft at Customization Bays by digitally selecting the nose, tail, wings and a special feature—such as a disco ball or balloons—resulting in more than 625 unique spacecraft combinations. Space Cadets can see themselves “riding” in the vehicle that they designed. The experience begins with interactive pre-shows and a briefing from Biff Dipper, the Park’s first robotic minifigure, before launching into twists and turns up to 40 mph, with LEGO Space sets, cinematic storytelling, and onboard sound and lighting. . . .

Read the entire article at Playa Vista Magazine.

Some entrepreneurs struggle for years and never make it. Others get it right on the first try.

Samohi sophomores and close friends Bo Okin and Davio Sokolow have hit paydirt with Mercury Denim. Okin, who designs the jeans, and Sokolow, who oversees the legal and financial side of the business, have only dropped two designs of 100 jeans each, one in September 2025 and the other in February 2026; the first sold out in under 5 minutes and the second in 7 seconds. The jeans are available exclusively through their website with no advertising and no outside backing. The third drop is scheduled for August.

“Most of the buyers, we have no idea who they are,” said Okin. “There’s been sales out of the country, a few in Japan, a few in Italy, some in Paris. Mostly how the word gets out is that I manage the social media and the promotion of our jeans. I mostly promote on TikTok and Instagram. I post every single day, and that definitely gets the word out.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

On March 9, 2024, the Venice Heritage Museum (VHM) celebrated its grand opening at 228 Main Street in Venice, and in the fall of 2025, the museum closed its doors.

“We knew when we moved into the other space it was not a sustainable solution because we were paying rent, and we had a grant for the first year’s rent,” explained Carol Levy, the president of the VHM board. “We were hoping that during that period of time we’d be able to find a permanent home, but it took longer than expected.”

On March 21, 2 years after its first opening, VHM celebrated its grand re-opening at its new location at Westminster Park at 1234 Pacific Avenue in Venice. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.